A man with a handgun restrained employees and customers at a Huntington Station store before robbing the place, and police said the incident was similar to others that happened across Long Island in the last few months.
According to the Suffolk County Police Department, the suspect entered the Pier 1 Imports on East Jericho Turnpike with the weapon at about 7 p.m. last night and forced employees and customers to the rear of the store, which is near New York Avenue. After restraining them, he made an employee open the store’s safe and he removed cash from the registers.
Police said the armed robbery was similar to crimes that have happened in Nassau and Suffolk counties since late August, including four robberies at women’s clothing stores — on Sept. 7 in East Farmingdale, on Oct. 12 in West Babylon, on Oct. 26 in Deer Park and on Nov. 2 in North Lindenhurst.
The male suspect in the Pier 1 armed robbery was described as black, between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall, and of a thin to medium build, police said. He was wearing a mask and a hoodie at the time of the crime.
Detectives from the SCPD’s Pattern Crime Unit are investigating the incident and Suffolk County Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-220-TIPS.
